Motor-driven signal



Oct. 1, 1946. 5.1.; WILLIAMS v 2,408,590 v MOTOR DRIVEN SIGNAL Filed March a, 1945 5 24- ks z 4.22 v

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FRI 1N L. WILLIAMS,

INVEN TOR.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 1, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTOR-DRIVEN SIGNAL Ervin L. Williams, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 3, 1945, Serial No. 580,822

' 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a motor driven signal.

Among the objects of the invention are: to provide an improved means for imparting motion to an electric lamp signal, while the light is on, so that it will be more readily observable in various situations, for example, to vehicles approaching from the rear; to provide a motor driven stop light signal which can be very conveniently attached to vehicles now on the market; to provide superior pedal-operable means for putting into operation the means for moving the signal; and to provide a signal which is adapted to supplement in a superior manner and to cooperate with stop light signals already in use upon-vehicles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of motor driven signal lamps which are normally in a fully protected, partially housed-in position from which, upon being driven in circular paths, they are urged by centrifugal force from a concealed to a noticeable visible position, by means which operate automatically when the vehicle is brought to a stop.

Still another object is to provide a swingably mounted electric signal lamp supplied by current from a conductor which is so arranged that a portion thereof is repeatedly flexed during the operation of the lamp, without being injured even when the device is used throughout a long period of time. I

Yet another object is toprovide a superior yielding or elastic stop means for the swingable' support for the lamps to prevent injurious shock I of the lamp filaments when they are urged to the limit of their movement by centrifugal force.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a superior rotatable housing having signal lamps normally concealed therein, the rotation of said housing extending the lamps from a normally invisible position to a visible operative position.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the'accompanying drawing, which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device showing it as it appears in its mounted position, parts being sectioned to show more clearly their interior construction and parts of the support andhousing being broken out in order to contract the VleW. 7

Fig. 2 is aface view on a'smaller scale of the light reflecting plate, as seen from line 22 of Fig. 1.v I

Fig. 3 is a section on a smaller scalethan-Fig;

2 1, of the revoluble, centrifugally controlled lamps, said lampsv being shown in full lines in their retracted position and in dotted lines in their extended position. The plane of section is approximately indicated by line 33 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is another section showing the device on a reduced scale, the plane of section being indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 1.'

Referring in detail to the drawing, the device is therein shown associated with an electric motor I supported by a two-part standard 8 attachable in any suitable manner to a motor vehicle. To the axial, horizontally projecting shaft 9 of said motor is secured to rotate therewith, a circular housing l9 consisting of parallel spaced apart disks or circular plates II and I2. Said housing is of a peripherally open type except for two diametrically opposite peripheral webs or tie plates I3 and M, which are welded or otherwise secured in place, in order to secure to each other the disks l I and I2 and maintain the latter in properly spaced apart relations to each other.

Twin lamp-carrying structures 16 are mounted between said discs, each of these structures comprising a lamp proper Ila, mounted in the lamp socket I! carried by tubular stems l 8, these stems being angular or L-shaped thus providing them with laterally deflected end portions or limbs [9 which project through bearing apertures in the inner disk H and have their extremities externally screwthreaded to receive nuts 28, said portions l9 having peripheral'flanges 2! at the opposite side of thedisk ll opposite to the screwed down nuts'ZB'Whereby the stems I8 partially rotate or swing in a plane parallel to each of the said disks H and I2.

By the'foregoing arrangement the lamps I'la are swingably supported within the rotatable, open-sided housing l0 so as to swing outwardly by centrifugal force from the full line to the dotted linepositions of Fig. 3, the out-swing of each lamp being opposed by a coiled tension spring 22 one end of which is attached to the web l3 at its side of the housing and the opposite end'of which is attached to the stem N3 of the lamp with which it cooperates, at a distance from the pivotal mounting of such stem. By these springs the lamps Ila are normally maintained at the limit of their inswingin contact with stops 23, the outswing of the lamps being limited by stops 24. All these stops consist of pins which projectinto the housing from the large disk ll, these pins having elastic sheaths 23a and or 24a aroundthem to absorb the shock upon the swinging lamps so that the impacts ocer than that of the disk I2 to project beyond and in a considerable measure protect the lamp globes il'a even when the latter are in their most extended positions. The annulus in formed by the increase in diameter of the plate I I over that of plate I2 also forms a background screen against which the moving lamps Ila are outlined. Especially is this true at night when the lamp rays of the trailing vehicle fall upon said background and moving lamps.

The means for mounting the housing structure Ill upon the motor shaft 9 comprises a central hub 2'6 on the disk I I furnished with a set screw 27 to abut the shaft 9. 1

In order to provide electric current to the lamps Ila during rotation of the housing If], conductor means is provided which includes an annular disk 30 carried by the housing disk II in a parallel, outwardly spaced relation to that side of the housing, a, pair of diametrically opposite pins or spacer lugs 32 being utilized for this purpose, said lugs having screwthreaded sockets in their ends and being in an interposed abutting relation to said disk I I and 30, so that, when small screws 3I are inserted through holes in the disks and screwed into said sockets the disks I I and 30 are secured to each other in the proper relative positions.

Electrical connection is made between the conductor disk 33 and lamps IIa by mean of the coiled wire conductors 33, these wires being secured to the latter disk and led through the tubular lamp-carrying stems. The coiled, somewhat resilient wires of which said conductors are formed prevents them from being damaged by the twisting movement to which they are Subjected during the outswing and inswing of the lamps.

Owing to the annular shape of conductor disk 35? its inner periphery is at all times spaced radially outward from the motor shaft 9 and outer end portion of the hub 26 as shown in Fig.4.

During the operation of the device electric current is continuously conveyed to the rotating disk 30 by means of the wipingcontact against the periphery thereof of a brush 35 carried by a pin 36 which projects toward the housing ID from the upper portion of the front plate 31 of the motor I. A spring 39 coiled around the pin 36 is arranged to maintain the free end portion of the brush 35 into current conducting engagement with the disk 36.

A conductor 38 supplies current to brush 35. Said conductor 38 is connected to the wire through which current is conducted from the battery to the conventional stop signal provided on all types of motor vehicles and which is enere gized automatically when the brake pedal is depressed incident to bringing the vehicle to a stop. Thus it will be seen that just as soon as the stop light is energized the motor I is also energized causing the lamps Ila to start rotating; and as soon as the centrifugal force causes them to, expand their orbit of travel from an obscure to a visible signalling position the warning to a driver of a trailing vehicle of the intentions of the driver of the advance vehicle is made more effective,

The outer or front disk I2 of the housing, as

best shown in Fig. 2, is provided with black bands 4| alternating with white bands 42 and with two radial, intersecting white bands 43. These black and white markings of said disk give it a distinctive appearance when rotated under the illumination of the rays of light thrown upon them by the headlight of an approaching vehicle or when rotated in daylight without being illuminated.

In regard to the operation, it will now be seen that, when the pedal is depressed to close the stop light circuit the circuit will also be closed through the motor I and lamps Ila and, due to centrifugal force, as the motor rotates the housing and lamps they will travel along an orbit between the periphery of the large disk II and that of the smaller disk I2, said lamps being restored to their normal positions when the foot is removed from the pedal, due to the energy stored in the retractile springs 22. While the lamps are rotating in the aforesaid orbit they are clearly visible to an approaching motorist, but are in a measure protected by the back disk II the periphery of which lies radially beyond the orbit in which they travel when in their outswung positions.

The device is mounted on the rear of the auto mobile 011 the fender or on the chassis between the rear wheels so as to be readily seen.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stop light means for vehicles, an electric motor mountable upon a vehicle and provided with a power transmission shaft which projects toward the rear of the vehicle when said motor is mounted thereon, a circular housing axially secured to said shaft and comprising a front disk and a rear disk secured to each other in an axial, parallelspaced apart relation, the rear disk being considerably less in diameter than the front one, there being peripheral openings in said housing, at least one electric lamp pivotally connected to said housing for a swinging movement therein from a retracted position between said disks to an extended position outside the periphery of the smaller disk and within the periphery of the larger disk, the outswing of said lamp occurring under the urge of centrifugal force when said housing is rotated by said motor, and yieldable means acting between said housing and lamp to retract the latter into the space circumscribed by the smaller disk when the motor stops.

2. In a stop light means for vehicles, an electric motor mountable upon a vehicle and provided with a power transmission shaft which projects toward the rear of the Vehicle when said motor is mounted thereon, a circular housing comprising parallel spaced apart front and rear disks of unequal diameters axially secured to said shaft and having open peripheral portions between them, at least one electric lamp swingably mounted within said housing for extension through said open peripheral portions under the urge of centrifugal force when said shaft and housing are rotated by said motor, the increase in diameter of one disk over the other comprising an annulus forming a background screen against which the moving lamp is outlined, and yielding means carried by said housing and tendingxto retract said lamp thereinto. 1 i

3. The subject matter of claim 2 and, said housing comprising a pair of opposed, spaced apart substantially parallel disks having webs uniting their peripheral portions, said lamp being mounted between said disks, one of said disks being smaller than the other and screening the retracted lamp from view.

4. In a stop light means for vehicles, an electric motor mountable upon a, vehicle and provided with a power transmission shaft which projects toward the rear of the vehicle when said motor is mounted thereon, a circular housing axially secured to said shaft and having open peripheral portions, a tubular L-shaped member swingably carried by said housing and having a limb which at all times extends horizontally and which is pivoted to said housing, an electric lamp carried by the other limb of said member for movement to an exposed visible position inrelation to the housing under the urge of centrifugal force when said shaft and housing rotate, and

a spring carried by said housing tending to swing said L-shapedmember in a. direction to retract said lamp through one of the aforesaid open portions of the housing.

5. The subject matter of claim 4 and, said housing having connected to it a circular conductor disk concentric to said shaft, and a wiper carried by said motor and engaging the periphery of said conductor disk to provide lighting current to said lamp during the rotation of said shaft and housing.

6. In a stop light means for vehicles, an electric motor mountable upon a vehicle and provided with a power transmission shaft which projects toward the rear of the vehicle when said motor is mounted thereon, a circular housing axially secured to said shaft and having open 1 6-,

ripheral portions, at least one electric lamp swingably mounted within said housing for extension through an open portion thereof under the urge of centrifugal force when said shaft and housing are rotated by said motor, said lamp having a socket portion, stop arms mounted within said housing in the path of the swinging movement of said lampsocket to limit the extent of itsswing in both directions, an elastic bumper carried by each of said stop arms to cushion the shock of said lamp socket against them, and yielding means to retract said lamp until its swing is arrested by one of said stop arms.

ERVIN L. WILLIAMS. 

